Humanities Last Quarter

Yikes this is late!

I have done a number of humanities related events.

BUCKEYETHON 2011!! This was so amazing. I had the privilege to help organize the event. Watching it unfold before my eyes was truly a thing of beauty. We more than doubled our final total, this years total was $222,518.17. We are the fastest growing dance marathon in the nation!

Another amazing opportunity that I had involved Buck-I-Serv. If you haven't done it but have thought about it, DO IT. One of the most amazing experiences I have ever encountered. We worked half of the day for Habitat for Humanity and the other half at Ruth's Reusables. Ruth's is a warehouse/store that gives away and sells discounted school supplies to teachers in need. I'm going to continue participating in Buck-I-Serv for years to come.

Another experience I had that I was surprised about involved showing my room in the Hav to prospective students. I really liked it and may be a Scholar's Ambassador next year.

Great quarter and super pumped for Spring!

Stuart

Mmmm...cake

Happy anniversary Union!!!! Thanks for the cake!

Good Friends, Good Times, Humanities.

For Humanities this winter, I went to the Eat-With-Your-Mentor thingy. I didn't eat with my own mentor, though, but with someone whose name is Katie, I think. I could be making that up.

Katie's original mentorees are Devon, Chelsea, and Molly. They are all very friendly people, very fun people to eat with. Once we chose our meals and settled down, they started talking about a lot of things, like good-looking men, teachers who teach as if they are teaching kids, Terelle Pryer's misbehavior...yes, all of which are my favorite subjects.

You know, I find quite a lot of enjoyment in sitting down, eating, and getting to know new people. For a small example, if it wasn't for the Eat-With-Your-Mentor thingy, I would never have gotten to know Chelsea (and her name). Now she's someone I say hi to every time our paths cross. And the same with Devon. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have known that thing about Terelle Pryer.

New Book Club

I just joined my mom's bookclub because I love reading and it is a way that my mom and I can stay connected while I am at school. We started off by reading a book of my choice called "The Mountain of Light" that is actually a book about the history of an orphanage that I stayed at in Honduras. It is the facility's story and growth from what it was to what it is now. It is a wonderful book about the values that the facility stands on. They house children who have HIV/AIDS and all the money that they recieve through work groups and sponsers goes directly to the children's medicine and care. My favorite part of the story is where they turned the funeral home in the back into a computer lab because the children are able to live healthy lives now!! It is a wonderful and touching book and you guys should check it out!

Winter Quarter Happenings

Wow! This quarter went soo quickly. I cannot believe that it is almost the end of Freshman year! Let's recap on this quarter....

Taste of OSU- This event was really cool but really crowded. I walked over for about an hour before I headed to work to see what the event was all about. There were tables for food and lots of free samples of everything!! It was really cool to see what clubs are at OSU because there really are activities for every type of person. The various cultural performances were really cool and it was really nice to see everyone supporting and respecting the views of others.

Film festival- I attended the film festival and it was SO cool to see everyones take on the environment and their innovative ideas for conserving energy. I really respected all the hard work that each group put into the videos. I thought it was a really fun and creative idea to bring us all together and also do some research on the environment. It is so interesting to me that each group recieved the same project and we each took a different stance and approach to it. I really enjoyed it.

Ice Skating- I went to the Scholars group sktaing and it was a nice winter-time activity. Sometimes it is so hard to stay in the same dorm room all winter and it was a nice change of scenery and I had a lot of fun.

Winter Quarter :)

1. Inception.
I had never seen the movie before then, but I really really wanted to, and I'm super glad I did. I'm prone to liking anything with Leonardo DiCaprio in it, but I actually liked this movie. Everyone was telling me the first time I saw it, I would be so confused I wouldn't like it, but I was only lost for the first couple of minutes, then I started following what was going on. It was a really cool way to just hang out with other Humanites Scholars, without having to really do anything.

2. Dog Shelter.
This may very well have been my favorite volunteering experience ever. I love dogs. Period. End of story. There isn't really any other way to express it. So, naturally, I loved being able to just go and kind of hang out with a bunch of dogs for a couple hours. I got to meet some new people through this as well, which is always a good thing.

3. Mardi Gras Dinner and Dialogue.
My favorite part about this was probably the food. But the information was interesting too. I didn't realize how much I don't know about Mardi Gras until this night. I didn't know there were parades. I knew it was a big deal in New Orleans, but I guess I just kind of thought it was just one gigantic party. I never actually realized it was a cultural thing that they do.

4. McCarthyism and the Red Scare.
Honestly, going into this I had no idea what this was about. I had never heard of this before. Then once we got into it a little, it kind of surprised me. Who would have thought our country got so crazy that it was preventing people from acting because they may or may not have been communist? I didn't know that it got that far in depth.

5. Urban Arts Space.
This was my first trip to the Urban Arts Space, and I didn't really know what to expect. The first thing I saw was the Arts Scholars' exhibit, which kind of bewildered me, mostly because I am one of the least artistic people on the planet, and I am always surprised when I see someone my age doing something like the things that were on display. There was also some live art, I guess you could call it, with these dancers that was shockingly interesting and frightening at the same time.

6. Film Festival.
The entire film project was an interesting experience. While I didn't meet anyone through this, I saw four people who had never met, who lived just down the hall from each other for over 10 weeks sort of get to know each other. The festival itself was another experience. The movies introduced me to the personalities of some of the Humanities Scholars I have yet to get to know.

Winter Quarter

I enjoyed all the events I attended this quarter. One of my favorites was the Dinner and Dialouge: Mardi Gras. The food was delicious and the speaker was great and very informative. It gave me alot more insight into a deep and rich tradition. I attended OSU Urban Arts Space exhibit with the Art Scholars. Although I am not very artistic myself I really enjoyed the exhibit and also the many other exhibits that were displayed. I especially loved a piece by one of the art scholars, it was a large close up of a rose but it was done in purple, it was beautiful. Another thing I attended was Spring Awakening. I thought the actors and the set were great but I did not like the show overall. I attended many other events also and it was a great quarter

Winter Quarter 2011

Hi, so I almost forgot about posting a blog for this quarter =[. Anyway, I participated in a couple of Humanities events this quarter. The Taste of OSU is one that pops out a lot. It was a really packed event, but it was a lot of fun. There were different nationalities represented, and they all had great food. Except maybe their bubble tea, I think the franchise has a different recipe than what a traditional bubble tea is.

I also went to the Mardi Gras event. The presentation was really interesting and it connected many things about Mardi Gras that I never really connected. The food there was also really good. I think it was from Jay Gumbos, that new restaurant that opened on High street, which I highly recommend.

Winter Quarter

This quarter seemed to fly by. Well anyways this quarter the first event I went to was Taste of OSU. The place was packed with people there trying the food and the numerous clubs were represented. It was interesting to not only try the different foods, but to also see the different cultural performances. At the All-Scholars Ice Skate it was once again rather crowded, but it was fun to watch all the people attempt to skate. My team for the relay race took first place easily and received some nice plastic medals. The Humanities Scholars Film Festival was an interesting experience. It was great to see all videos and the different takes they all had on the project. Unfortunately I did not win a sham-wow.

English Conversation Partner

Well I know not many people seem to be doing this or at least blogging it but I've continued to meet with my English conversation partner. Weizhou and I have started to compare our languages and what's similar about them and what's not. Unfortunately we haven't had much time to meet lately and I'm not sure we'll continue next quarter.

Winter Quarter!

So, since I just remembered that this is due tomorrow (today I guess!) I am working on my Humanities Scholars blog post at 3:30 in the morning, from the comfort of my couch listening to my cat snore (yes, my  cat snores, louder than most people I might add!).

Taste of OSU

Taste of OSU was...crowded! Even though I didn't try any of the food, it was really interesting to see all the different clubs come together to put on this great event. It all smelled delicious, and had I not just eaten a huge dinner, I probably would have tried something.

Dinner and Dialogue: Human Sexuality

Well, this was definitely...interesting, to say the least! It was entertaining and it really kept me thinking. And, having never attended a Dinner and Dialogue before, this was a great way to spark my interest! I really enjoyed the speaker, and would definitely consider taking one of her classes in the future.

Dinner and Dialogue: Mardi Gras

This Dinner and Dialogue took me right back to January and being in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl! I was most excited to eat New Orleans food again, but the information presented was also very interesting! It made me want to return to New Orleans! Maybe even go for the Mardi Gras celebration!

Humanities Film Festival

I loved seeing all the hard work my fellow first-year Humanities Scholars put into their videos! This was such a great way to showcase all of the diverse talent we have! It was really cool to see my group's video up on the big screen too!

Winter Funnn

Even though winter quarter was extremely busy, I managed to squeeze in time for my fellow Humanities activities. I watched Inception with a bunch of people. I saw the movie once before and was totally not into it. (Completely lost) But, when I watched it for a second time, I found it was extremely interesting. I even figured out the ending. (Maybe.) I also volunteered at the Franklin Country Dog Shelter. I had so much fun. The dogs were to cute. Even though most of them couldn't be taken for a walk due to surgeries, the ones I was able to take were so energetic! I even walked one of the sick puppies, it had Whooping Cough sad I know. It was a female boxer but she didn't have a name so I named her Zula. After I got back to the dorm I called my parents and told them I found us a new puppy. Unfortunately, they didn't think so. :( I went to the Red Scare thingy with some people from Hav 3 and the PSL people. I t was interesting to say the least. From what I gathered ( I was playing Bubble Shooter) it was a pretty crazy time. I do feel bad for the actors/writers that were black listed. Let's face it, that was messed up.

So all in all my winter quarter was good.

Since I;m posting this a day before it's due, I just want to add in

HAPPY SPRING BREAK GUYS :)

Ericca

Winter Quarter

Although I was busy winter quarter, I still found some time in my schedule to go to humanities events. My first was the Urban Art Space Exhibit with miss Leisa DeCarlo. The exhibit was incredible and was really nice to see. The art scholars room was my personal favorite. This is also where we found Daniel which was refreshing. The finger food was pretty good, and the art was exquisite. So all in all it was a wonderful time and I'd go back anytime soon.

My next event was the all scholars ice-skating later that night. I wasn't there for hours, but it was tons of fun. It was cool seeing/meeting other scholars and enjoying the company of my humanities scholars. Finally I partook in the film festival, which actually was exciting and funny.

Hip Hop Dance Class

Way, way back in January (because procrastination is the name of the game here), a group of us Humanities scholars traveled over to Pomerene Hall to take part in a Hip Hop dance class along with some Art scholars. Though I had taken dance classes before, I was unsure of what to expect. Our instructor was very enthusiastic and upbeat; she even had Ben groovin before he had to leave. The dance routines were a little hard to get the hang of, but we had fun once we got them down. At the end we performed a whole combination to music. I walked out of the class sweaty, sore but ready for the next class. I hope a similar class is offered for spring quarter!

Winter 2011 Humanities involvement

I had a great time with the humanities scholars this winter quarter. Here are a couple of the great things we did.

Film festival: I really enjoyed viewing all the projects made this year. They were all very creative, informative, and funny. I do believe this project should continue in the future. It is a really fun way to explore different humanities themes. I also really enjoyed the video by Ben and Daniel. I never knew how much entertainment that could be derived from one snookie :)

Book club: For the book club this quarter, we read the Kite Runner. Though I did not have a chance to attend the final book discussion, I really enjoyed the mid book discussion. I think it is interesting the way the book explores the points of view of a culture so different than our own. I also believe it is a tragedy what happened to the little brother. Our book discussion went all the way up to the part where the family left for America.

Volunteering at Angora: I really enjoyed volunteering at Angora. Angora worked with young children in disadvantaged neighborhoods to give them a warm meal, fun games and activities, and a church service that these people might not ordinarily get to have. I believe it is a great thing that Angora is doing for the community and I really enjoyed being able to meet the little kids.

Film editing clinic: This event occurred in early February. Before going to this event, I had no idea how to use Windows Movie Maker- or even the fact that there was a Windows Movie Maker on my computer! Now I know how to add clips, shorten them, lengthen them, put captions on them, and many other ways to turn short film clips into movie productions.

Marti Gras Festival: At the Marti Gras Festival, there was a wide variety of tasty New Orleans style food. I really enjoyed eating all this food because the recipes were unique and like nothing I have tried before. I also really enjoyed hearing the speaker talk about the various historical aspects related to Marti Gras.

Film Festival

I had a good time at the film festival, the free popcorn and drinks was an added plus. Making the film project wasn't very hard and it created socializing opportunities which was pretty cool. I don't see why this event shouldn't continue.

Humanities Film Festival

Just last week was the Second Annual Humanities Film Festival. I thought that the film festival ran very smoothly and the videos were entertaining, especially Ben and Daniel's. It was definitely a different project than I have done in years past, but I enjoyed making a 5 minute movie much more than writing a 5 page paper. Overall, I'd say the film festival was a success.

The Kite Runner: Book Club and Movie Veiwing

Yesterday we had the final meeting for this quarter's book club. We discussed the second half of the book during the book discussion portion of the meeting. It was neat to compare the first half of the book, which focuses on the narrator's childhood, and the second part of the book, which tells about the narrator's return to his childhood home in Afghanistan. We were able to make many connections between events that occurred during each section of the book. It was really cool to see how the author used these comparisons as well as metaphors and other literary techniques, to tell the story and encourage us to read deeper. After the book discussion we watched a film version of the book. The film adaptation was good, but I have to say I liked the book better. I feel like the film left out several important details and events. However, I did think the film was well done and enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the banned book club next quarter!

Indianapolis Service Trip

It's amazing to think that even with all of the opportunities for community service in Columbus, a team of fifteen Humanities Scholars were able to go out of the state to Indianapolis to serve at Habitat for Humanity on March 5, 2011. The members of the organization were happy to have us in the city on Friday evening, where we had a wonderful dinner at Buca de Beppo and then had a peaceful evening of movies and logic puzzles at the hotel. The following day, we woke up and immediately went to the Habitat office, where we helped organize and paint a room in the office. It was a great experience to help out with the Habitat community.

The Social Network

It's been over a month ago, but one of the first events of the quarter was a OUAB free showing of the Social Network. I must say I was impressed that not only was the movie free, but we were also offered free popcorn and drinks. Only four people went to the showing, including Ben, but it was a pretty decent time. The movie was a lot better than I expected it to be considering it was about facebook. There was a lot more drama involved too than I expected—but that's what made it good.

It was a good movie & a good experience with OUAB. I would definitely not mind going to another movie next quarter.

Pansori

Last Thursday I attended a special seminar about Korean Folk Songs or pansori. The lecturer, Prof. Park Youn-Ho, was not only a very talented singer, but he also brought with him a warm and bright atmosphere. He spoke of how one could distinguish pansori from various regions of Korea, by the way they sang. Around the Kangwon province, songs had a nasal-y sound. Around the Seoul area, songs had more power coming from the throat. In the South, around the Cholla province, songs are sang from the belly. Interestingly, the pansori originating in the Taebaek mountain range, the songs were sang with a rolling sound, kind of flipping up and down. This made me think of how the geography correlated with the style of singing in Korea. As if the land of Korea were the body of a human, the style of the North is to sing from the upper parts of the body and the style of the South is to sing from the lower parts of the body. Also, the style of the mountain range, the backbone of Korea, is to sing with a rolling sound. Prof. Park could sing it all. I have to say, it was pretty sweet.

McCarthyism and the Red Scare

Okay, Drinko Hall is a bit of a walk when it's freezing out, but it was absolutely worth it to see the presentation on McCarthyism put on by the Arts and PSL Scholars. They did a dazzling performance of the congressional hearings by the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee). Seeing it in action really brought to life how insane the whole process was and how different ,yet in some ways eerily similar, the 1950s were to today. I especially enjoyed the panel during the last half of the evening. They described all the underlying reasons for the inquisitions into Hollywood, some of which I found to be quite discriminatory, but sadly not very shocking. They also drew parallels to some of the paranoia Americans deal with today, specifically terrorism. Though today, we have not had such a harsh and unwavering reaction, there are still some obvious correlations. The part I found most interesting was the point that America has consistently undergone surges of paranoia, and McCarthyism was simply one manifestation of this. I simultaneously  do and don't hope to be around when the next wave hits. The history was fascinating and I'm glad I was able to attend.

Agora Ministry

alright Ben.. i know this was like 7 weeks ago, but a blog's a blog right? :)

anyway, this event was extremely enlightening. i, being from out of state, dont really know that much of columbus, least of all the differences in economic standings across the city. i really had no idea that there was such poverty and hardship across the west side. it was a huge eye opener to work with the kids who have such a hard life and have become very tough and ready to protect themselves. at Agora they let the kids play around for an hour or two, which is complete chaos, then they do a very short church service and then have serve the kids a free dinner. i really admire Agora and their mission to help and provide a safe place for these kids to spend their Wednesday and Saturday nights. the workers were all very kind and welcoming but knew how to handle all the kids, especially the ones that were so willing to fight over the smallest of things. overall it was a great night, i was exhausted after because the kids were so demanding, but i had a good time and i want to go back again if the opportunity presents.

New York

i went to New York City this last weekend and had the awesome opportunity to see the Phantom of the Opera. I have seen the movie before and absolutely love it and the sound track, but the actual play was so much better. the music was superb and the vocals were seriously unbelievable. i love being able to experience Humanities-ish things out in the real world. they make me very happy to be a part of this group. I can't wait to see more plays, concerts, etc. and to think of all the ways those are related to humanities!

Mardi Gras Dinner & Dialogue

Tonight was the Mardi Gras Dinner and Dialogue. We had an excellent speaker and delicious food (props to Ben for the vegetarian fare).I probably should have guessed, but there is a lot more to Mardi Gras than just getting drunk and catching beads. There is a whole tradition both around New Orleans, and rural Cajun areas.Basically the whole point of Mardi Gras is to have a big communal gathering, celebrating the unique neighborhoods and traditions. Kate Parker talked about the differences between the real Mardi Gras and the tourist version of Mardi Gras.There is a long history of racial and neighborhood tension between different Krewes that organize the parades. I love how the different Indian "tribes" battle about who's the prettiest and craft such intricate costumes. I can't wait until I'm old enough to experience the true Mardi Gras!